Sweet Bonding

Isaiah and I have been alone, together, in Olinala since Sunday. (On the way back from our team meeting in Chihuahau the week before, Martin and Micah stayed at the MCC office in Mexico City to do some electrical and plumbing work - that multi-talented husband of mine.) I felt that it was important to get Isaiah back to a routine, back to school. Me too for that matter. Our time in Chihuahua was hard for Isaiah and I in a number of ways. We both need routine. And some down time. I ended the week feeling, once again, like a "bad" mother. And that's not what I want to be. Not at all.

So I rejoice and give thanks to God for this sweet bonding time with my dear, dear firstborn son. I give thanks for grace, for each new day and the chance to start again. And for the quick forgiveness of children.

We read a book together - The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane - by Kate DiCamillo. We cried together, laughed together, and in the end, cried again. It is a beautiful book. We highly recommend it to everyone.

And so the journey continues...

Friends in Chicago

Time with Opa

It was wonderful to be with Opa again in Bluffton. We love you Opa!

July 2008

As many of you know, we spent July 2008 in the United States. Isaiah worked to recreate his memories. Micah created new ones. I guess these pictures will be mostly for us. Here are some from our time at the Children´s Museum in Chicago.

Early Summer 2008 Part 2

Our latest dress-up costumes consist of hand-made wooden masks.
This picture is for Steve - a plate of jello sent home with Martin from our welder's wife. (Our welder = Miguel who fixes our cistern and dry latrine molds when necessary.)

Early Summer of 2008

Some more "catch-up" pictures.
Isaiah had two bottom teeth pulled, since the new ones were coming in behind the baby ones. He did a great job at the dentist's office.
Micah helped me bake cookies.
Aunt Doris and Aunt Su sent the kids a wonderful little play tent. They both crawl in and Isaiah often reads to Micah and their stuffed animals.
Some birds built a nest in our airplane plant. We carefully watched the process.

Merideth's Surprise Birthday Party

On June 10th, 2008, we had a surprise birthday party for Merideth at our house. It was lots of fun, complete with an ice-cream cake, live music, a pinata, kabobs, many friends and LOTS of confetti! We love you Mer!

Family Gardens Part 1

Last year two women's groups and one boarding school started family gardens. It was a great year! The goal of the garden project was to help people have access to fresh vegetables year round. We all learned a lot.
Everyone started a compost pile. Here I am at our house using ingredients from our dry latrine and the dried mango leaves from our mango tree. First a layer of sticks(for air circulation purpupses), then a layer of leaves, then a layer of manure. On top of that, I sprinkled some dirt, and finally water. I continued making layers this way until I ran out of ingredients. A few months later I had a pile of sweet smelling dirt - or organic fertilizer. When we looked at it, Micah wondered where HIS poop was.
We started a drip irrigation garden at our house too, and used the same methods as the women's group. Merideth came over to help us plan and lay the drip irrigation.

Family Gardens Part 2

We meet for workshops once a week. Each week we talked about a different aspect of gardening, such as composting, worm beds, double digging, starting seeds, transplanting, crop rotation, companion planting, drip irrigation, insects, seed collecting and saving....just to name a few. Kiara and I (Liz) worked with the groups from November 2007 through the end of February 2008. Then Merideth came and she and Kiara worked with the groups until the end of June 2008. This coming fall, Merideth and Kiara will be working with three NEW garden groups. I will be accompanying last year's garden groups as they decide what they would like to do next. When I met with them in August, both groups expressed gratitude and appreciation for their gardens and said that now they want to learn how to sew their own clothes. I told them that I can help them make a plan and walk with them as THEY accomplish their goals. It is exciting to watch God in action.
Filling seed trays in Chiaucingo. Isaiah and Micah came along.
Merideth with some children at the boarding school checking out the California worms. Each family built a worm bed. The worms turn donkey manure and kitchen scraps into incredible organic fertilizer for the garden.
From left to right, two daughters and their mother Emilia, who participated in last year's garden group in Teticic

Family Gardens Part 3

This was everyone's least favorite part - Double digging. (No, it's not called double digging because two people are digging!) The theory behind double digging is that "it breaks up the soil and provides soil aeration. It also improves drainage, extends crop-rooting depth and increases the range of soil nutrients availability to plant roots. Finally, it helps deepen the topsoil, which greatly increases soil fertility." (pg 87, The New Organic Grower by Eliot Coleman.) It was particularly difficult because the ground is made of ROCK where we are trying to garden.
Everyone started their seeds in trays. Here a husband and wife are transplanting.
Kids at a boarding school transplanting.
The method of gardening we are using is called "Bio-intensive" and means that we can grow more in less space. Here, for example, lettuce (which grows up) is growing alongside onions (which grow down). You can also see the drip irrigation tape.

More About Dry Latrines Part 1

I've written about the dry latrines and how they work before. Here are a few more pictures showing some of the construction process.
Here Martin and Enrique (our team coordinator) are helping put the mold together.
href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibCev1etoNM4BWDnVGH0oApvHnf3ZEWWrqMbEtT2r76uUpWco0wgNbMOI9gBr1h78O-etA4_xmnMaRsTeEA469K42e3LCeaRhIvzpN7VSgxFKF3rpHFk_1-12cSsQiIsnlGREP/s200/2+building+base.jpg">Next, we fill the mold with cement.
The next day, the base is finished.
Then the walls are build with cement blocks and the roof is put on.

More about Dry Latrines Part 2

Sr. Placido makes our special toilets. The toilet separates the urine from the poop.
This is the back of the dry latrine with the pvc ventilation tubes. The hose at the bottom is connected to the separator part of the toilet and carries the pee to a hole filled with gravel. Here the urine filters into the ground. (At our house we planted a bogenvillia plant near the tube. It gets a good nitrogen fix. Some people collect the urine, mix it with 4 parts water, and use it as an organic fertilizer.)
A finished dry latrine at a primary school. (Needs a door, or they'll just have to close their eyes.)
Many people hang a sheet or cloth as a door. Works better then closing one's eyes, in my opinion :)

Why Build a Cistern? Why Build a Dry Latrine?

Here are some pictures of the area where we live. In the dry season, people have to walk miles to get water.



We help people build cisterns next to their house. With gutters, they can use their roof to collect rainwater and fill the cistern. The cistern can hold almost 17,000 liters of water, which can last a family of six about 4 to 5 months.
A number of families have both a cistern and a dry latrine. With the cistern, they can collect and save rainwater for domestic use. With the dry latrine, they can save water, reduce air and water contamination, and have a more dignified place to poop and pee. The dry latrine is also know as a "composting toilet" because once the excrement decomposes, it can be used as organic fertilizer on cornfields.

How to Build a Cistern Part 1

At the beginning of June 2008 we received money from the New Zealand embassy to fund 4 cisterns and 32 family gardens. At the end of June, our family went to Tlanicingo to start the cistern construction. Tlanicingo is a small community of about 7 families, most of which had turned in an application for family gardens earlier in the year. With money from MCC and the New Zealand embassy, each family that wants to participate in the family gardens project this coming fall was able to build a cistern in June, to collect and store this summer's rainwater. (Since I am posting this in September, I'll add that all of the cisterns are now full of rainwater.)
It's not often that all 4 of us are out in a community together. The kids were out of school, so we all went along. Isaiah and Micah were able to participate in a variety of ways, most of which were helpful.

First we level the ground. The cisterns are 3 meters in diameter and 2 1/2 meters high. They can hold almost 17,000 liters of water.
Next, we put up the exterior walls of the mold. MCC has two cistern molds. Then we line the inside of the mold with wire mesh (not show).

How to Build a Cistern Part 2

Next we pour the floor and wait a few hours for it to dry.
After that, we paint the interior mold walls with used motor oil so they easily come off (Isaiah is helping).
Next, we put the interior mold walls in place.
Once the walls are in place, everyone works for the rest of the day filling the walls with cement.
Isaiah and Micah helped with this. The family was kind enough to give each of them a bucket their size to haul cement.